It means that you can no longer discard organic waste into your garbage at home or in the workplace. Food scraps and yard waste are all considered to be organic waste that must be recycled.

This is a mandatory requirement and fines will be issued to residents and businesses that fail to comply with the organics disposal ban and continue to throw food scraps and yard waste into the garbage.

Why does organic waste cause issues?

When organic materials such as yard waste and food scraps end up in the landfill they slowly decay and produce a greenhouse gas known as methane which is a pollutant that increases global warming and harms the environment. According to Environment Canada Methane is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of its global warming potential. These materials also lead to the creation of more and more landfills which takes up valuable land and space!

Also when we throw away food, valuable nutrients, soil, water and energy that was used to produce the food is wasted and cannot be reused. Instead of being discarded in a landfill, organic waste can be reused in waste-to-energy processes or converted into fertile compost.

To make organic waste programs as clean and easy to use as possible, Emterra also offers organic bin/container cleaning service and compostable liners.

What happens to organic waste once collected?

After organic waste is collected, it is delivered to Harvest Power, a local composting facility. Harvest power uses an anaerobic digestion system to turn organic waste into renewable green energy, soil, mulch and natural fertilizer products. Through this process, your organic waste is diverted away from the landfill and helps communities become more sustainable.

Kitchen catchers are handy bins that can be used for lunch rooms, kitchens and common areas. These bins hold organic waste in a conveniently sized bin which can be easily empties into the larger carts for collection.